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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: hide · deal · pass · lean · cold · content · cap · stand

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. cold — an illness
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. stand — to bear
  5. cold — not warm
  6. deal — to handle
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. content — happy
  11. lean — thin
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. cap — a lid
  15. lean — to bend
  16. pass — a permit
  17. cap — a hat
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. cap — of ice

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com